COP16: Kirti Vardhan Singh calls for International funding for biodiversity conservation

0

New Delhi: Minister of States for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh today highlighted the India’s initiative on conserving nature and biodiversity at UNCBD COP16 and called for international funding to implement the National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (NBSAP)

Delivering a national statement at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali , Colombia, Mr Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “India has a rich culture and tradition of worshipping “Mother Earth” and of living in harmony with nature”

He further added that India is one of the world’s 17 Mega-diverse rich nations housing four out of the 36 globally recognised biodiversity hotspots.

The Minister announced that India will launch the updated national plan to protect biodiversity at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) on November 31.

Mr Singh emphasized the need to provide means of implementation, including financial resources for implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

“India adopted a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach while updating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan with its targets aligned with the KMGBF. We will be releasing our updated NBSAP tomorrow here at Cali,” Kirti Vardhan Singh said.

“It is necessary to provide means of implementation including financial resources, as laid down in target 19 of the KMGBF as well as from DSI, for implementation of the NBSAP. A lot of ground needs to be covered in providing easily accessible means of implementation i.e. financial resources, technology and capacity building needs with the requisite speed, scope and scale,” Singh added.

Sharing the India’s initiatives on conserving nature, PM Modi said “Peace with Nature” has been part of India’s rich cultural heritage since ancient the Vedic age. The theme resonates with India’s mission of ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)” an India led Global mass movement for adopting environment friendly lifestyles”.

“Prime Minister this year launched a nationwide tree plantation campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ or ‘Plant4Mother’ on the occasion of World Environment Day in our collective efforts to restore and protect our biodiversity” he added.

Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “India’s efforts in rejuventing our sacred river Ganga through “Namami Gange” Mission was duly recognized by United Nations as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships to revive the riverine ecosystem”.

He said India’s Ramsar sites has risen from 26 to 85 since 2014 and this number is shortly going to reach 100.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted in 1992, aims to conserve biodiversity, promote its sustainable use, and ensure equitable sharing of genetic resource benefits.

To fulfill these goals, the CBD requires each member country to develop a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), a tailored framework for protecting and managing biodiversity based on national priorities.

A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) means that a country’s biodiversity conservation strategies are tailored to meet both national and international biodiversity goals.

The Kunming-Montreal GBF, established in 2022, set global targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and to restore ecosystems, protect species, and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here